430 Challenge Purchase Advice | Page 2 | FerrariChat

430 Challenge Purchase Advice

Discussion in 'Challenge/GT Cars/Track' started by Bodacious, Apr 12, 2010.

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  1. Napolis

    Napolis Three Time F1 World Champ
    Honorary Owner

    Oct 23, 2002
    32,118
    Full Name:
    Jim Glickenhaus
    Ditto.

    Good way to meet Elvis.
     
  2. ProCoach

    ProCoach F1 Veteran
    Owner

    Sep 15, 2004
    5,464
    VIR Raceway
    Full Name:
    Peter Krause
    +1,000,000!
     
  3. 95spiderman

    95spiderman F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Nov 1, 2003
    15,057
    ny
    better let all the driver clubs and tracks know this so they can prevent the 99% customers with street cars from doing drivers ed.
     
  4. Bodacious

    Bodacious Rookie

    Apr 19, 2007
    33
    This is a big issue to me. I've done a number of DE events and Porsche school in stock street cars, which is fine up to a point, but if I want to push it a bit, then having all the safety accessories seems to make the most sense to me.
     
  5. 95spiderman

    95spiderman F1 World Champ
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    Nov 1, 2003
    15,057
    ny
    to me, drivers ed should be where enthusiasts take their cars to drive them in a safe and controlled manner where they dont have to worry about traffic, road hazzards, police, etc. instead we have novice drivers in extreme hi performance cars they do not have the experience to control trying to 'push it a bit' on the track and feel good about it bc it has a cage and harness. obviously i hope im not on the same track that day, but why dont the people who are interested in lap times do time trials instead and leave de to the rest of us before the whole concept get legislated away as too dangerous. the right driver attitude at a de event will be 100000X more successful in providing a safe event than all the hans, cage, harness gear combined.
     
  6. Tipo815

    Tipo815 F1 Rookie

    Nov 1, 2003
    3,565
    Newport Beach, CA
    Full Name:
    Jeffrey
    I don't have any experience with a 430 Challenge car but did own two 360 Challenge cars and ran them at "track day" events (nothing professional, sanctioned, etc.). It was very much "just for fun" and it was definitely that ... alot of fun! :) Unless you're planning to to do SCCA events or run in some series down the road I would say that a 355 or 360 Challenge race car will be more than enough car for you to hone your skills and have a blast doing so. The 430 (from what I've heard) is ALOT of car in every way. More capable, more expensive to acquire, more expensive to repair, more equipment required to run (center lock wheels, etc.). If I'm reading you're desire correctly I would say that a 360 Challenge car will more than meet all your needs at almost half the overall cost of a 430 Challenge car. The other option - again depending on the level you desire to reach - would be to buy a CS and have it set up for track use. Granted it won't have the safety devices of the dedicated track car but you could use it in both environments - the track and the street. Have a second set of wheels/tires with slicks, lower the car, corner balance it, set the alignment for track use and you'll find that it's a pretty capable track car as well. Probably as much as 7/10ths of a dedicated 360 Challenge car which you could also drive on the street! In terms of depreciation - there are some higher mile Stradales around that are $110k to $120k. Even if you tracked the car it's not likely it would depreciate a ton unless you crashed it. Any race shop could install a roll cage inside the Stradale as well if you wanted more safety. Either way - I think the 430 is overkill until which time you really decide you love it. You can then have something to look forward to by upgrading to a 430 Challenge! :)
     
  7. Bodacious

    Bodacious Rookie

    Apr 19, 2007
    33
    I currently have a Porsche that I have driven at DE events, always in a safe and controlled manner, and have been to the Porsche masters course. I also have an Vanquish, which I also drive in safe and controlled manner. My thought was to get a Ferrari, since I haven't owned one and, since I don't need to have it as a road car, thought to buy one of the track cars. Not sure what else is necessary to drive with others on a track in a high performance car. I, like most others (I hope), take this stuff quite seriously but isn't everyone out there trying to "push it a bit"?

    I'll let you know what my schedule is.
     
  8. Bodacious

    Bodacious Rookie

    Apr 19, 2007
    33
    Thanks for your thoughts. I do question whether or not the 430 is too much (center lugs, etc.) and the 360C does seem to be a good alternative. I don't know if, by the time you make all the changes to a street Stradale, you aren't at about the cost of a 360C? The 360c's I've been seeing are ~$110k.
     
  9. 95spiderman

    95spiderman F1 World Champ
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    Nov 1, 2003
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    #34 95spiderman, Apr 22, 2010
    Last edited: Apr 22, 2010
    nothing against you personally. just a trend i see where people treat de as a semi competitive event. they have 'safety equipment' so see no problem trying to get best lap times possible with super high performance cars driven at the limit (the driver's limit, not the car's). way too many crashes/tragedies.

    i just cant see the sense in buying a race car for de when you state in your initial post that you dont have a 'huge deal of track experience'. either way, buy what you like and be safe. good luck.
     
  10. johnhoughtaling

    johnhoughtaling Formula 3

    Nov 6, 2002
    2,101
    New Orleans
    Full Name:
    John William H.
    A good 360C will run 90k-110, and will be safe.

    I've taken several 360 and 430 street cars to the track. But it's always more dangerous and less fun than the same model as a challenge car. There no logic in any suggestion that you will be safer in streetcar than a challenge car. Unless you plan on driving very slow in a green kiddy lap group, you can die in a street car on a track with cars at speed even if you have your head on straight. Of course you need to be careful regardless. If your goal is to learn to drive a car at speed you take a big risk if you have an accident, and if that happens you want to be in a cage with safety equipment. Arguing otherwise is like saying cars dont need seatbelts or motorcyclists don't need to wear helmets if they plan to drive safe.

    Have patience and look for a good 360C. Get a coach and enjoy your tracktime safely.
     
  11. ProCoach

    ProCoach F1 Veteran
    Owner

    Sep 15, 2004
    5,464
    VIR Raceway
    Full Name:
    Peter Krause
    The only trend I see is wide variation on how various organizations as well as chapters and regions within organizations run their events. It's also the case that you're the one responsible for putting yourself in harms way. I know very, very few people that "try harder" because they have safety equipment around them. To the contrary, the more people do this and the wiser they get, the more they appreciate safety equipment around them.

    If you want a competitive event, there are plenty around. Competitive in DE? You're the one that makes it that way...
     
  12. gatorgreg

    gatorgreg Formula 3

    Dec 13, 2004
    1,863
    NAPLES
    How about a new GT3? Those cars are amazing!! Street legal and ready to go.
     
  13. Bodacious

    Bodacious Rookie

    Apr 19, 2007
    33
    In my mind I don't have a lot of seat time (3 DE events in my Porsche, 3x at Porsche school) and thought it would be great to drive a ferrari to get more. I take your points as given and take them to heart. I plan on getting some pro help here and hope to run on empty tracks numerous times with help from my Ferrari dealer to start the process. Safe is central to the program.

    Thanks for your thoughts.
     
  14. Bodacious

    Bodacious Rookie

    Apr 19, 2007
    33
    Yeah, tried at friends at the track last week and it is awesome but, frankly, I have a Porsche and am looking to experience a Ferrari...just trying to figure out how to accomplish that.
     

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